My Hero Academia has released the final volume of the manga in Japan, and the creator behind it all bid a final farewell to fans with a special message. Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia ended its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine earlier this Summer, but now it has come to a complete end with the launch of its final volume on shelves. This volume included over 30 pages of brand new material set after the original finale, and it gave fans the much more fleshed out ending that they were hoping for. And it seems like that was something the creator had wanted for the series as well.
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Together with the release of My Hero Academia Volume 42 in shelves across Japan this week, Kohei Horikoshi included a final message within the volume (as shared by @puppyochako on X) that revealed some of his thought processes behind including more of the manga’s story. Noting that Chapter 429 was the end of the final battle, and 430 served as the epilogue, the new My Hero Academia Chapter 431 was to conclude the story in full. Horikoshi wanted the series’ characters to “be set free from their struggles” and for their drama to reach a resolution.
My Hero Academia’s Creator Says Goodbye to the Hero Series
Horikoshi shared his belief that manga is a visual medium telling its story through its art, but true success comes from the characters’ emotional and psychological being as important as the battles. Stating that, “It’s a medium where every action of the characters is tied to the development of their internal journey ‘Keep going! You can do it!’ is something all living beings express in one way or another. This story was all about those struggles.” But the series itself was a demanding one during its serialization that took Horikoshi going beyond his limits to create.
“I was constantly under pressure during the serialization, fighting my own self-consciousness,” Horikoshi stated. “Every day felt like a battle where I questioned whether I could write something better than the day before. I had no idea if readers would continue to believe in and support me. I kept asking myself if I was doing enough.” It was the audience that helped him get through it all too, “But every time I saw readers cheering for the characters I drew, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and happiness. That trust gave me strength. You, the readers, are the ones who gave me this power. And because of that, I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had you as my supporters.”
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Further emphasizing that he’s no less human than everyone else, he was able to do everything he wanted with My Hero Academia thanks to the support of the fans. Stating further, “Even though I might appear strong as a creator, in reality, I’m just as fragile and vulnerable as anyone else. I’m not someone who can do everything effortlessly. But because of you, I was able to move forward, even when I thought I couldn’t.” And now that journey has come to an end.
“After nearly a decade of My Hero Academia, it’s become clear to me that this series has been like gasoline to my soul—it fueled me, challenged me, and helped me grow,” Horikoshi continued. “I’m truly grateful to all of you for being part of this journey. With Chapter 431, the story will conclude. The characters will be set free from their struggles, and their dramas will reach resolution.”
My Hero Academia Chapter 431 was a brand new chapter set a month after the original ending, and showcases more of the time skip that was seen in the final chapter. With this new extra bit of story, and this final message from the creator, My Hero Academia’s manga is truly at an end in Japan. No release date has been revealed for the final volume in outside territories as of the time of this publication, but the final season of the anime will be airing some time next year.
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